January 03, 2008

We all want to do our part for the planet, don't we? So I was really excited when I came across this new eco-friendly quilt batting at JoAnn Fabrics, it's made by Mountain Mist. Naturally, it was all the way around back on the island of batting, but at least they're selling it. I bought this package of crib size batting and a bag of the fluffy fiber-fill that's used for cuddly toys & things like that. This stuff is really interesting, it's made from corn (read more about it on the Mountain Mist site here)! It looks a lot like polyester batting, but it's a lot fluffier and light. It's hard to describe, but it really is very light, like what you'd expect a cloud to feel like. It's not as fibrous as the polyester, but the thickness is similar. It doesn't crease like polyester either, it's much smoother and easier to work with and pin. The only problem is that it's so fluffy that it seems to take more pinning. The fabric just springs back at you as it's pinned.Anyway, I used this corn batting on my latest CHECK Quilt. I like to machine wash my quilts after they're made to make them look more loved, so this quilt was no exception. I thought this batting was light before, but after washing it seems to be almost non-existent. It got really thin. The finished quilt is so light and thin it feels like there is no batting. Now, I'm all for being environmentally conscious, but I don't think this makes a great quilt in the end. I think I'll use it occasionally because my market customers love their sustainable materials. I just fear that it will seem sort of, well, cheap. I'm a little disappointed, but super glad that someone actually bothered to try. I'm sure products like this will keep coming and keep improving. For now I'll probably stick to cotton, at least it's natural. Side note: I read online that there is a version of this batting that is 50% cotton, that might work out a little better for me.

I appreciate the effort made in producing products with the environment in mind. Maybe I could use it for the doll quilts I'm making for one of our grandchildren as I don't think her dolls will mind the thinness but I'll stick with cotton batting in the meantime until the kinks are worked out of this product.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and reporting on the batting and fill material. It really is a great help.

What a bummer! Joann's also carries a batting that is made from bamboo and is eco friendly. Perhaps that would be a good option. I haven't tried it yet, but I'd love to hear what you say if you try it out@